The next day, from the start, felt wrong somehow. Violet woke up late, something she almost never did, which threw her morning off balance. Once she got to work she discovered she was still tired - and that today would be consisting of many a recap of her Los Angeles experience coworkers. She found that she hedged around many of the unpleasant details, instead presenting the picture of a smooth, completely perfect day. She didn’t like that she had been pushed around so by Kevin, nor did she enjoy feeling so reduced and unimportant. No one else needed to know that had been how she felt.

Sometime around lunch Marjorie, the receptionist, wandered in and pulled Violet aside. She was concerned - it wasn’t often that the animators were interrupted. “What is it?” she asked quietly.

“Do you know a Tyler Bentley?”

Violet nodded. “Sure, why?”

Marjorie frowned. “He’s been calling all morning asking if you were all right - to the switchboard, mind you - and so finally the call got put through back here.”

“Let him know I’m just fine and I’ll see him at usual time.”

“OK.” Marjorie retreated back out of the studio and Violet returned to work, feeling guilty that she hadn’t given Tyler a call the night before. She’d said she would, but it had been late. Midnight, even, and she wasn‘t comfortable calling someone that late. Besides, what could have happened, really? OK, many a thing, but she didn’t need to check in with someone...Check in? Tyler was just worried, he cared about her--

“V, everything all right?” Violet snapped out of her daze to see Frank, one of her coworkers eying her strangely.

“Yes...why?”

“You looked upset.”

“No, just thoughtful, I suppose.” It wasn’t worth discussing. Violet headed over to Frank’s desk and watched as he sketched. “Any word yet on that vocal audition I asked to be set up?”

“Oh yeah, actually word came in yesterday - the audition is today.”

Violet’s jaw dropped. “Today? Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Frank looked back at her momentarily.

“No one did?”

“No...what time?”

“I believe it was...well we put the memo on your desk, check it.”

Violet scurried over to her desk and rummaged through her mail from the day before. Sure enough, there it was - and the audition was in just an hour and a half. “Damn,” she muttered. Today was not supposed to go like this. She ran out to Marjorie.

“Can you get me a car to Casting from EPCOT? Have it there in...” Violet glanced at the clock. “Forty minutes?”

“Sure V, no problem. You need a cab car to the monorail?”

“No, that’ll take too long, I’ll walk.” She darted off before Marjorie could protest. She stopped back in the studio to explain where she was off to, then quick as a flash was out the door and sprinting for the monorail station. Her head was swimming. She really hated urgency. It was the worst situation to work in, without a doubt. She stood at the platform, jittery and calculating her time table. Hopefully Tyler could trade off shows this afternoon. Why hadn’t she checked her mail? She admonished herself as the train sped away towards EPCOT. She was usually so on the ball. It was such a little mistake, but what if she had never asked Frank? What then?

‘Stop,’ she finally demanded her thoughts as she headed towards the America Gardens Theatre. Why was she being this way today? Kevin. It was all Kevin’s fault. He had thrown her off-kilter the day before and now she’d be like this for days - feeling as if everything were just a little off. Stupid...man. Stupid, stupid, famous man...

Once she reached her destination she went to the backstage entrance and began knocking frantically. There was only ten minutes til their first show of the day. Finally someone threw open the door, startled, just as Violet felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Excuse me, ma’am, this area is for cast members only,” the employee behind her reprimanded. Violet nodded.

“I know, I am one.”

“Can I help you?” the percussionist asked who’d opened the door.

“Yes, I need--”

“Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“No need, I’ll be leaving on my own in just a minute,” Violet assured her, then turned back to the door. “Is--”

“Violet?” Tyler suddenly appeared behind the first man, looking surprised and thankfully not dressed in costume.

“Tyler! Come on, we have to go--”

“Ma’am!”

Violet spun around. “What?”

“You need to leave this area immediately, it’s restricted to--”

“The Prodigy,” Violet blurted out. The employee seemed confused.

“What?”

“That’s who I am, the Prodigy. I left my pass in the studio, I’m sorry. I’ll be gone in just a minute, I promise.” She turned back to Tyler. “Your audition is today, there’s a car waiting. We have to go. Now.”

“Oh my God...OK, just a minute.” Tyler scurried off again. Violet sighed and again eyed the employee who stood watching her in amazement.

“I’m sorry,” she offered, for lack of anything else. The woman shook her head, breaking out of her reverie.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry,” she gushed, resting a hand on Violet’s arm, “I had no idea who you were and I thought you were just a guest...I mean, not just a guest--”

“Ready,” Tyler announced, reappearing. Violet flashed the frazzled employee a smile.

“Don’t worry about it, I understand.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Tyler hurried after Violet as she headed for the exit. She was silent and he had no idea what she could be thinking or feeling. “Hey, are you all right?” he asked quietly. She nodded.

“Of course, why?”

“I don’t know, I thought you might be angry or something.”

“I’m not angry. Today’s just--” Her speech cut short as a clueless tourist stopped right in front of her, “excuse me...today’s just been hectic.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with me, does it?”

Violet gave Tyler a reassuring grin she far from felt. “No, no, of course not. Don’t worry about it. I just wish I would’ve read my mail earlier this morning so we wouldn’t have to rush like this.” There was more to it than that, but to put it in words was something she wasn’t sure how to do. Tyler took her hand as they continued, which she appreciated. Luckily the car was there as scheduled so without further ado the pair was racing towards the Casting building in Orlando. Violet noticed Tyler’s nervousness growing as they sped on. Violet cursed her haste again, wishing she had remembered to bring the test dialogue for Tyler to practice with. She reassured him that he simply had to be himself.

“Because I’m not an actor.”

“I know that.”

“And I can’t sing.”

Violet smiled. “I know that too.”

“Are you sure I’m right for this?”

“Tyler, my character is based on you, completely. You are Jack, Jack is you. Have faith in yourself. I do.” She squeezed his hand and he returned her smile. Her confidence, in its own way, was contagious. If she said he was perfect for the part who was he to argue? He glanced over at her as she watched scenery pass by. Who would’ve thought he could’ve fallen so hard for someone in just a month? Just wondering what she was thinking was intriguing. All he didn’t know about her - and there was so much - was almost more appealing than all he did. She was so mysterious...

Violet wasn’t feeling at all mysterious, just tired. Tired and anxious. She hoped she really was making the right decision with Tyler, letting him audition. She needed to be right.

A half hour later she had her answer. He was fantastic. A little shaky at first, true, but once he was a page or so into things he took off. Every rise and fall in his pitch, the way every word was pronounced, even his facial features as he read - it was like magic. She sat back in the control room and smiled. This was it - sure all the tapes needed to be reviewed, but this was the one they were going with. She could feel it. With that reassurance she felt her sense of peace and comfort returning too, setting her world back on the axis it had slipped ever so slightly off of.

“How was it?” Tyler asked quickly, as soon as he was finished.

“You were amazing. It was just like I pictured it.”

He smiled and put an arm around her, obviously relieved. “Maybe we could go celebrate then?”

She gave him a smile. “Definitely.”

**********

The next two weeks passed in relative peace for Violet. Days were spent hard at work in the studio on “Beans”, many evenings were passed with Tyler within the comfort of Disney grounds. She was content, waiting only to hear the final word on Tyler’s role. Word was expected by that upcoming Friday, and she could hardly wait to see his face when she told him.

The day started out rainy, which did little to put a damper on Violet’s mood. She hummed a song as she hurriedly got ready that morning, eager to get to the office. When she arrived, however, she was surprised to see most of her coworkers huddled around her area.

“Morning everyone,” she said, approaching them. “What’s going on?”

“V, you’re here, wonderful.” Their project leader, Aaron, turned and smiled at her. “Come on over.”

“Has the decision come in?” she asked, smiling.

“Sure has.”

Violet felt her smile widen as she stepped closer to her desk. The expression froze, however as she saw a new sketch posted next to her specs on Jack. “What’s that?”

“Well, you know Disney’s keen on making sure there’re traces of the actor that voices the character in the character. We’ve got to make a few changes to Jack.”

Violet stared at the new sketch. Jack’s hair was now an almost black shade and longer, touching his shoulders. His facial features were distinctly sharper, but what was most noticable was the change in eye color - from brown to a vibrant green.

Jack no longer looked anything like Tyler.

He did, however, look strikingly like one Kevin Richardson.